It all started on August 27, 2020. It was Izzy's first week as a junior at a new college, Clarke University, and AJ's senior year there. We were both eating lunch separately with friends in the student activity center (SAC) and it wasn't long before AJ noticed Izzy's eyes from across the room. He couldn't help but ask his friends, "Woah, who is that? I've never seen her before." As Izzy and her friends got up to leave, AJ's friend, Ron, ran to catch up with them. He casually asked them, "Hey guys, how are your days going?" But then, he dropped a little surprise--AJ thought Izzy was pretty and wanted to hang out. Ron called out for AJ so we could meet. AJ got Izzy's Snapchat and we went on a walk down Clarke Drive the next day, where we realized just how much we had in common. To this day, we have not gone a day without communication. We endured nearly five years of long distance--between Chicago and Las Vegas, and we beat the odds. AJ proposed to Izzy on our fur baby's first birthday, September 9, 2023, and the rest was history!